Ishant Sharma

Calcutta: Ishant Sharma, who admirably shouldered the responsibility of leading the Team India attack in the absence of Zaheer Khan and Rudra Pratap Singh in the recent tri-series in Australia, is doubtful for the first Test against South Africa.

According to The Telegraph’s sources, Ishant underwent a “30-minute” (indoors only) fitness test at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore on Sunday afternoon. Absolutely nothing was revealed, but it appears the lanky Delhi quick could have to miss the series-launching Test in Chennai, from March 26.

The test was to have been on Monday morning, some hours before the selectors’ meeting in Bangalore itself, but obviously got advanced.

Significantly, Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh, the others called, didn’t show up at the Academy.

Late on Sunday, Harbhajan sent a text message to this Reporter saying: “I’m fit and have informed (Board secretary) Mr Niranjan Shah and the captain (Anil Kumble).”

Yuvraj, it’s learnt, will reach Bangalore on Monday morning.

Ishant, who took the first flight out of Bangalore after the fitness test, is recovering from both a toe and a finger injury. Clearly, he needs to be handled judiciously.

As for Yuvraj and Harbhajan, the former has been carrying a left knee injury and the latter a left hamstring problem.

If Ishant is actually ruled out of the first Test, then the selectors (chairman Dilip Vengsarkar, Venkatapathi Raju, Bhupinder Singh, Sanjay Jagdale and Ranjib Biswal) have a problem on their hands as Zaheer is still unfit.

Should Ishant have to be rested, then Praveen Kumar or the experienced Munaf Patel may benefit.

Any Ishant-related development could, by the way, force the selectors to pick a XV-man squad for the first Test only and not the first two (the second, in Ahmedabad, is April 3 onwards).

The squad for the third and final Test (from April 11, in Kanpur) will be selected in Ahmedabad.

There’s certainly confusion on account of the fitness issue, but one of the selectors said: “Don’t expect any dramatic changes from the squad which toured Australia... Unless, of course, one of the top players is unfit and is unavailable...”

The squad which did duty in the four-Test series in Australia was XVI-strong and, so, Dinesh Karthik is straightaway out of the equation.

Under much pressure is Wasim Jaffer, who was a mega flop in Australia. After the first three Tests, he was dropped in the last, at the Adelaide Oval.

LIKELY SQUAD

(As of Sunday night)

Openers: Virender Sehwag, Wasim Jaffer/Gautam Gambhir; Middle-order batsmen: Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, V.V.S. Laxman, Yuvraj Singh; Wicketkeeper: Mahendra Singh Dhoni; Spinners: Anil Kumble (capt.), Harbhajan Singh; Medium-pacers: Irfan Pathan, Rudra Pratap Singh, Sreesanth, Ishant Sharma/Praveen Kumar/Munaf Patel. 15th spot: Murali Kartik looks pretty well placed. Equally, both Jaffer and Gambhir may make it...